Cost of Living Comparison Between Winterthur and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Winterthur and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,111 in Winterthur versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,075 in Winterthur versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,039 in Winterthur versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Winterthur is roughly 79% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Winterthur 208% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$39.98 CHF 32.26

$16.19 €14.15

146.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$131 CHF 106

$63.3 €55.3

107.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.82 CHF 15.99

$10.32 €9.02

92.05%

Cappuccino

$6.68 CHF 5.39

$2.83 €2.47

136.04%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 CHF 3.91

$2.29 €2.00

111.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 CHF 3.66

$1.58 €1.38

187.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 CHF 6.95

$3.40 €2.97

153.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 CHF 4.82

$4.03 €3.52

48.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$1.09 €0.95

101.83%

White Bread (500g)

$4.58 CHF 3.69

$1.75 €1.53

161.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 CHF 3.75

$1.76 €1.54

164.20%

Eggs

$7.68 CHF 6.20

$3.17 €2.77

142.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.30 CHF 25.26

$13.19 €11.53

137.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.81 CHF 26.47

$7.97 €6.96

311.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$46.30 CHF 37.36

$15.53 €13.57

198.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 CHF 2.63

$2.37 €2.07

37.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 CHF 1.71

$1.71 €1.49

23.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 CHF 2.53

$2.01 €1.75

56.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.99 CHF 6.45

$2.43 €2.12

228.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 CHF 1.98

$1.76 €1.54

39.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.83

$2.03 €1.78

11.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CHF 2.06

$1.92 €1.68

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 CHF 0.80

$0.85 €0.74

16.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.49 CHF 9.27

$6.58 €5.75

74.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.14 CHF 10.60

$5.58 €4.87

135.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 CHF 1.62

$1.33 €1.16

51.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 CHF 2.71

$2.97 €2.60

13.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.05 CHF 3.27

$2.28 €1.99

77.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$125 CHF 101

$45.79 €40.01

172.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 CHF 6.83

$4.23 €3.69

100.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.89 CHF 3.95

$0.81 €0.71

503.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.2 CHF 68.8

$18.44 €16.11

362.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.75

$2.08 €1.82

4.33%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$39.8K CHF 32.1K

$34.7K €30.3K

14.70%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$46.9K CHF 37.8K

$39.2K €34.2K

19.69%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$257 CHF 207

$148 €129

73.37%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$67.0 CHF 54.1

$20.46 €17.88

227.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.5 CHF 47.98

$39.56 €34.56

50.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 CHF 93.9

$47.99 €41.93

142.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.84 CHF 35.37

$18.60 €16.25

135.70%

Cinema Ticket

$28.45 CHF 22.95

$9.22 €8.06

208.57%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,680 CHF 2,163

$616 €538

335.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K CHF 17.2K

$16.4K €14.4K

29.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$218 CHF 176

$103 €89.7

112.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$146 CHF 118

$41.74 €36.47

249.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$226 CHF 182

$94.8 €82.8

138.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$423 CHF 342

$122 €107

246.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,213 CHF 1,786

$1,633 €1,426

35.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 CHF 1,375

$1,232 €1,077

38.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,523 CHF 2,843

$3,098 €2,707

13.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,643 CHF 2,133

$2,031 €1,775

30.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.0K CHF 18.6K

$7,831 €6,842

193.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.1K CHF 13.8K

$4,389 €3,835

289.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,442 CHF 5,198

$1,607 €1,404

300.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

3.81

-34.38%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Winterthur: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,213 in Winterthur and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Winterthur pays 301% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $131 in Winterthur vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $673 vs $267 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Winterthur vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Winterthur and Lisbon differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($4,111 vs $2,291 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 301% higher in Winterthur, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,213 in Winterthur versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,680 in Winterthur versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 152% higher in Winterthur. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Winterthur and Lisbon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Winterthur. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.